郊こう外がい

こ

う

が

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

suburb; outskirts; commuter belt

Refers to residential areas outside the city center, typically within commuting distance. Often contrasted with 都心 (city center) or 田舎 (countryside).

Related words· 6

近きん郊こうN2
近郊 is a slightly more formal word for the areas just outside a city, often used with a place name like 東京近郊, whereas 郊外 is the everyday word for suburbs in general.
ベッドタウン
ベッドタウン is a casual term for a commuter suburb where people sleep but work elsewhere, while 郊外 is the broader, neutral word for any area outside the city center.
町まち外はずれN1
郊外 refers to the broader suburban area around a city, while 町外れ points to the specific edge or boundary of a town.
野や外がいN1
郊外 specifically means the residential suburbs outside a city, while 野外 in this sense refers to open, undeveloped land or the outskirts generally.

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市し外がいN1
郊外 refers to the residential suburbs surrounding a city, while 市外 is the more administrative term simply meaning 'outside the city limits'.
外はずれN1
郊外 refers to the suburban area surrounding a city, while 外れ is the more general term for the edge or outskirts of any place, not just a city.

Opposites· 7

都と心しんN2
都心 refers to the city center or downtown area, while 郊外 refers to the residential areas outside it.
市し街がい地ち
郊外 means the suburbs or outskirts of a city, the opposite of 市街地, which is the densely built-up urban core.
ダウンタウン
郊外 means the suburbs or outskirts, the opposite of the busy central district referred to by ダウンタウン.

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Don't confuse with

田舎いなかN5
田舎 means the countryside, a rural area farther from the city, while 郊外 means the suburbs, a residential area still within commuting distance of the city center.
号ごう外がい
号外 (ごうがい, a newspaper extra) sounds and looks similar to 郊外 (こうがい, the suburbs), but the meanings are completely unrelated.